Watches, iPads, and One More Thing
As was widely rumoured, the 2020 iPhones are delayed. So, instead of showing them off at the traditional September event, Apple focussed mainly on Watch and iPad this year. The hour wasn’t without interest, though. Amidst the usual new model shininess there were some useful tidbits to illustrate Apple’s current direction with these products and where it’s going as a company generally.
Apple Watch Series 6
Series 6 ushered in a new hardware generation for the Watch as expected, but for the first time (I think) Apple introduced a second model in the same year: the Apple Watch SE. Both its name and mid-range price nicely match the recently introduced iPhone SE. Disruptions to the global economy (starting even before COVID19), and the strong US dollar, have put pressure on Apple to broaden all its product lines with lower price models. So, the current Watch range also includes the three-year-old Series 3, hitting all Apple’s preferred price points:
· Good (Series 3),
· Better (SE), and
· Best (Series 6).
Notice that, even with three models, the line still starts at “Good” and goes from there to the best you can get. Apple has been relentless about not denting their premium brand halo by never selling anything cheap or shoddy. They didn’t answer the call to make a cheap netbook and notice how short-lived the plastic iPhone 5c was. Instead, they now attempt to reach the lowest price for a still premium product by keeping older models in the line (at much reduced manufacturing costs).
As for the Series 6, it continues the tradition of introducing a new hardware feature every year. This time it’s a blood oxygen sensor which works by shining an infra-red light on your wrist. Add the existing heartrate sensor, ECG monitoring, and Fall Detection and Apple is continuing to go all in on the Watch as a health and fitness device (beyond its baseline communication abilities). On the software side this year’s watchOS 7 continues the focus with sleep tracking and handwashing detection. And, there’s a new Fitness service (more on that below).
It’s interesting to compare this relentless focus on health and fitness with the utterly scatter-shot introduction of the Watch in 2015. Apple clearly wasn’t sure what the new device would really be used for and the result was one of their weaker launches, which actually diluted Watch’s appeal by throwing every piece of spaghetti at the wall (even calling out the ability to send doodles to your friends). This is a hazard of making general purpose tools like computers; it often isn’t clear what your customers will use them for until they’ve had them for a while. In the case of Apple Watch, it turns out that the value added by being on your wrist isn’t just glanceability for communications, but also touch contact with your skin above the circulatory system. This enables the fitting of health sensors that no other computing device can match. All credit to Apple, then, for noticing and doubling down on health. The result has been such dominance that Apple Watch no longer has any real competitors.
By the way, this should be a good year to buy a Watch. Last year’s hardware feature was the long asked for ability to keep the screen always on. But, just as the first iPad with a Retina display chugged a little, Series 5’s always-on display struggled with brightness and battery life. The S6 chipset inside each Series 6 should handle these demands much better. If you’re on a budget, and can wait a year, the 2021 SE will likely inherit the S6 chip and the blood oxygen sensor.
iPad (8th Generation) & iPad Air (4th Generation)
Apple also introduced two new iPads, the 8th Generation as the “Good” model and the iPad Air (no designation given, but it’s the 4th Gen) as the “Better”. The iPad Pros (both 11” and 12.9” sizes) were updated earlier this year, so iPad too now has current models covering the whole Apple price range.
While iPad (8th Gen) may occupy the same place in its line as Series 3 does for the Watch, it’s not an old model that’s been kept around. Instead, it’s recycled old technology with new internals. Thus, it keeps the traditional rounded form factor with wide bezels and a Touch ID sensor, and the basic retina screen, but the upgraded chipset means not only a faster processor, but compatibility with the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil (1stGen). The former is important, given Apple’s focus on iPad’s ability to switch between pure tablet and laptop replacement modes, and the latter is really important, given Apple’s emphasis on new Pencil features in iPadOS 14.
The iPad Air 4th Gen gets a much bigger update. It has a new form factor, matching the sexy, square edged, thin bezel cases of the Pro models. This means a bigger screen (10.9”) and compatibility with the 2nd Gen Pencil and the Magic Keyboard. The screen is “liquid retina”, like the Pro models, featuring a wide colour gamut for photo editing in addition to high resolution. To keep the price down it has less storage than the Pro models and lacks Face ID and LIDAR. Instead, the Touch ID sensor is cleverly integrated into the top button (there’s no room for it on the skinny bezels). I can’t emphasize enough the significant of the new Air’s compatibility with Pencil (2nd Gen) and the Magic Keyboard.
There have been iPad keyboards before, but the Magic Keyboard really is the game-changer. It provides secure protection to both sides of the iPad, while the magnet attachments let you detach it instantly for handheld use as a media tablet (reading, watching videos, drawing, etc…). It reattaches just as quickly, conveniently turning the iPad into a laptop replacement. As important as this ability to almost instantly switch between modes, the Magic Keyboard makes iPad a good (if still slightly eccentric) laptop replacement with its complete set of hardware keys – and (finally!) a trackpad. Combined with the excellent cursor support added to iPadOS this year, the iPad now feels mature in both roles. By comparison its closest competitor, the Microsoft Surface, is a terrible tablet (too large, heavy, and a with the wrong screen ratio) and a mediocre laptop replacement (so-so battery life, not small and light, janky trackpad, awkward non-unfriendly kickstand…).
Pencil (2nd Gen) has also brought maturity to the hardware side of iPad’s drawing and handwriting capabilities with its convenient magnetic storage and charging on the side of iPad. Both Pencils will benefit, though, from much enhanced support in the just released iPadOS 14. This includes improved object detection for drawing perfect shapes, the ability to mix drawings and digital content more readily, instantly convert handwriting to digitised text, and the ability to handwrite into any text field.
Just as Apple Watch struggled for an identity at first, it feels like iPad’s place in the computing range is finally coming into focus. Is it a tablet or a laptop replacement? Both, it turns out. As a multi-modal (hand-held; laptop), multi-input (touch, pencil, keyboard) computer that is also a mobile device (location services, sensors, and optional cellular). This is finally starting to feel less like schizophrenia and more like a combination that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Services
As Apple’s years of hardware triumphs have reached the point that they’ve saturated many of their markets, the push into services as their next opportunity for growth has been well documented. The iTunes and App Stores are well established, but you can also pay Apple for extra iCloud storage and subscribe to Apple Music, News +, Arcade, and TV +. Apple Pay is everywhere and, in the U.S., can be transacted through an Apple credit card.
So, the Fall event saw Apple introduce yet another service: Fitness +. This will feature a continuously updated selection of workouts by professional trainers and will integrate with Apple’s hardware and software in a way only they can do. Apple Music will provide tunes for your workout, the Watch will monitor your workout time and health indicators, and either iPhone or iPad will display the video. Everything will be recorded in the Fitness App, from where it can be accessed by the Health App.
Even more exciting, Apple finally announced a bundle for its subscription services: Apple One. Also available “this fall” it will be US$15 for a single user or US$20 for a family plan (all prices rounded to the nearest dollar because I don’t think you’re stupid). This is a phenomenal bargain – Apple Music alone is $10 a month. I expect it will be a no-brainer for anyone who’s at all invested in the Apple ecosystem. Which won’t be a big deal for the more successful services (Music, iCloud, Arcade) but will be a huge boost to those still growing or which have received – ahem – mixed reviews (TV +, News +). It should give Fitness + a great launch as well. This will finally, I am sure, confirm Apple as a major services player. It will take time to see how good that is for Apple or its customers. The incentives for a services company are different from those of a hardware maker…
21 SEP 2020 UPDATE: The Apple One web page is up, and it turns out the Individual subscription only includes: Apple Music, TV+, Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud storage (you can, of course, pay extra for additional storage). Family plan is the same, but with 200GB of iCloud storage. If you’re already paying for Apple Music, I think this is still a no-brainer, but it’s not the super-phenomenal-mega-deal I thought it was. To get everything (adding News+ and Fitness+ to the above), you need to go to Apple One Premier at US$30 a month. This seems a big jump, but it also includes 2TB (that’s two terabytes) of iCloud storage, so it’s still a pretty good deal.
What I don’t like about this is the way Apple continues to nickel and dime iCloud storage, using it here as an incentive to push you to the “Premier” plan. It’s a disgrace that the purchase of an iPhone (or other Apple device) only includes 5GB of “free” iCloud storage. That’s not enough for online back-up of most customers’ photos and documents. Sure, it’s only US$1 ($1.30 where I live) to upgrade to the 50GB plan, but a lot of people just won’t pay for any such subscription service. I bet there’s a big overlap in the Venn diagram of such customers and those who don’t know how to or are unwilling to plug their iPhone into a computer and back-up locally.
That means a lot of iPhone owners are walking around, photographing precious memories with their shiny new device (which may have cost $1,000 or more) and never backing-up their pictures. That’s just unacceptable, and all because Apple seems to think iCloud storage can be a profit centre. This is why I ended the original version of this section with the observation about incentives for a services company being different from those of a hardware maker.
I hope Apple’s heart is still in the computing devices they make. A good way to show it would be to bump free iCloud storage up to the 50GB level, enough to ensure the security of most of their customers. While we’re dreaming, the Apple One Individual bundle should then include at least 200GB (enough to back-up even big photo and video libraries). But, what do I know? I’m not the one who built a trillion-dollar company. And, even if Apple sticks with its current scheme for iCloud pricing, I’ll probably still go for Apple One Premier when it’s available.
Final Thoughts
Environment: Apple continued to highlight its environmental initiatives. The new Watches and iPads are both made of recycled aluminum and their packaging is 95% recycled materials. Probably even better for the environment, a USB-A charger is no longer included with the watches, just a charging cord with its inductive puck. Apple noted that all Watch customers already have a USB-A charger (from a previous Watch or from their iPhone – which the Watch doesn’t work without), but it’ll be interesting to see how many customers interpret this as a simple cash grab. The reality is that Apple has been cutting back on bundled accessories for a long time now (MacBooks even included a remote-control back in the day) and I – for one – am all for it. If you do need a particular gewgaw, they’re all readily available, and this way the rest of us don’t have to put up with them cluttering our closets (and, eventually, a landfill).
Bang for buck: as Apple rounds out its product lines into Good – Better – Best, I think the “Better” model is tending to offer the best bang for the buck and be the best choice for most customers. The new Watch SE and iPad Air both look like terrific, premium products for significantly less money than the top end models. Unless there’s a specific feature you need, the “Pro” models tend to be good examples of the law of diminishing returns. On the other end, the “Good” models (while of premium construction) sometimes lack support for new capabilities because of their old chipsets or case design. iPad 8th Gen, for example, doesn’t work with the much improved 2nd Gen Pencil or the genuinely magic Magic Keyboard. And Watch Series 3 lacks support for the new family activation feature, which its low price would otherwise make it a perfect candidate for.
“Products”: Apple is a maker of computers. Some of these have traditional form factors (MacBooks, iMacs…) and some don’t (iPhone, Watch, iPad…) but they are all computers of one sort or other. And what makes computers special is their ability to change function by running different software, making them the ultimate general-purpose tool. You can use computers for everything from watching cat videos to the most profound acts of creation. And tools matter; without them we humans would still be gathering berries on the Serengeti. So, it bothers me – if only a little – that Tim Cook, even at his most eloquent, when he’s praising all the great things customers are doing with Apple devices, always just refers to them as “products”.
Leave a Reply